Module II: Lesson Organization (Cont.)

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Seven Steps to Effective Lesson Planning

Once the instructor decides the level of learning desired and creates appropriate learning objectives, she is now ready to create the rest of the lesson plan. This module aims to take the mystery out of lesson planning by bringing a quasi-scientific approach to this process. By asking seven questions before each class period, an instructor can create a lesson plan that incorporates the content of the lesson, the process of delivering the content, and the final products the students will complete.

Some of these steps will be explored in more detail in further modules of this tutorial.

These steps of instruction are grounded in the work of Robert Gagne, an educational theorist grounded in the behaviorist approach, who wrote The Conditions of Learning in 1965. While some criticize this approach as mechanical, the steps provide a structure for lesson planning within which an instructor can exercise her creativity. (links here)

Step 1. How will I gain the students' attention?

Every faculty member knows that the first five minutes of class are critical to getting students to "hang on" for the rest of the time. Thinking about how you will introduce the topic, or simply alert students that class is underway, can make the rest of the class flow much more smoothly.

Some faculty have developed techniques for beginning their class periods:

• a short chat with the students
• a brief writing activity on the chalkboard waiting for students when they walk in (perhaps reviewing the last lesson, or anticipating the upcoming one),
• a reference to a news item related to the course, etc.

Step 2. How will I describe the objectives to the students?

Students and instructors need to know the learning objectives for the class. This helps students recognize what they will be expected to do by the end of the class and appropriately sort through the content they receive. It also helps students identify when they are having difficulty in certain areas, and makes tests and quizzes less of a guessing game. Some faculty regularly write the objectives on the board or on a transparency, or pass them out to their students.

Step 3. How will I recall prior relevant information?

Learning increases when students can link new knowledge to something they already know. The instructor's job, then, is to make links between this old and new knowledge. Sometimes a previous lesson or a foundation course students have already taken can be a reference point for the new information. "You'll remember from your Spanish I course that there are two verbs that translate as 'to be.' What are the two verbs? Good. Today, we are going to look at these two verbs again and go a little deeper into their differences."

Other times, a simple metaphor or general knowledge can be enough to ensure that students make a connection to new information. For example, "How many of us have used a key to open a door? OK, so we know that only a key with a particular shape can open a particular door. Enzymes and substrates work in much the same way." Even a reference to pop culture can be enough to contextualize new information. "Who saw last night's Survivor episode? The interaction between Bob and Jane is a perfect example of the principle we will be covering today in Psychology of Groups."

Making connections to information students already have, even if this information is not academic, will help make the new knowledge "stick" and have more meaning.

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